How to Rip DVD Chapters Individually and Save Them as Separate Files

A DVD usually contains one or more titles, and each title has one or more chapters so that you can jump to a specific scene or section of a movie, TV episode, or other video content.

If you want to rip DVD chapters individually and save each chapter as a separate video file, you can do this with DVD ripping or video conversion software. This guide explains three ways to extract individual chapters from a DVD using WinX DVD Copy Pro, HandBrake, and VLC Media Player.

Can You Rip Individual Chapters from a DVD?

Yes, you can rip individual chapters from a DVD and save them as separate video files. The best method depends on your DVD and output needs: WinX DVD Copy Pro can extract selected chapters without transcoding, while HandBrake is a free option for compatible unprotected DVDs, and VLC works for basic extraction.

Quick Comparison

Protection support may vary depending on the disc and protection method. In short, choose WinX DVD Copy Pro if you want to extract selected chapters without transcoding, HandBrake for free conversion of compatible DVDs, or VLC if you already use it and only need basic extraction.

Way 1. Rip DVD Chapters Individually with WinX DVD Copy Pro

Best for: extracting selected chapters from a DVD as individual MPG files without transcoding.

In addition to making an exact copy of your DVD, WinX DVD Copy Pro can extract selected DVD titles, chapters, videos, and audio tracks. You can select one or multiple chapters and save them as separate .mpg files. Because the chapter extraction does not require video transcoding, the original video quality is preserved during the extraction process.

How to Rip DVD Chapters Individually with WinX DVD Copy Pro

Step 1. Download and install WinX DVD Copy Pro on your computer. It supports Windows 7 and later versions, including Windows 11.

Step 2. Launch WinX DVD Copy Pro and choose "Copy DVD Chapter" on the left-side rail.

Step 3. Insert the DVD you want to rip chapters off and select it as the source DVD.

Step 4. Click the Browse button next to the field of Target File and choose a save path for the chapters you'll rip off this DVD. The default destination is C:\Users\PC\Videos\DVD_ChapterClip\. If it is fine for you, you can omit this step.

Step 5. Select the DVD title which covers the chapters you need, and select the chapters you need. WinX DVD Copy Pro automatically checks the main movie title by default. If the chapters you need are in another title, manually select the appropriate title.

Step 6. Click the Run button to begin ripping chapter(s) off your DVD. Each chapter will be saved as a separate .mpg file, as shown in the figure below.

This method is particularly useful when you want to:

• Extract one or several specific DVD chapters.
• Save each chapter as an individual file.
• Preserve the original video quality without transcoding.
• Work with DVDs that other free tools may have difficulty reading because of copy protection.

If you want to rip entire DVD titles or TV episodes into separate video files instead of individual chapters, a dedicated DVD ripper can be more suitable.

Way 2. Rip DVD Chapters with HandBrake

Best for: converting selected chapters from compatible homemade or unprotected DVDs to MP4, MKV, or WebM for free.

HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoder that can also open compatible DVDs. It lets you select a DVD title and chapter range and convert the selected content to a new video file. However, HandBrake does not bypass DVD copy protection by itself. Some commercial or protected DVDs may therefore fail to scan or open correctly. You can install libdvdcss when using HandBrake to rip CSS-protected DVDs or rely on professional DVD ripper to rip copy-protected DVDs if you still have trouble opening the protected DVDs.

How to Split a DVD into Individual Chapters with HandBrake

Step 1. Download and install HandBrake. It can run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Our following steps will take the Windows version as an example.

Step 2. Insert the DVD you want to extract chapters off.

Step 3. Open HandBrake and then you should be able to see your DVD under Source Selection. What you need to do now is to select the DVD. Then, wait for HandBrake to scan the titles in your DVD.

Step 4. Select the title and chapter range. Choose the title containing the chapter you want to extract. To extract a single chapter, select the same chapter number in the From and To fields. For example, if you want to extract chapter 1 from title 27, select title 27 and set the chapter range to 1–1.

If you want to extract multiple chapters, you can add separate jobs to the Queue and process them one by one.

Step 5. Choose a preset based on your own needs. If you prefer to save DVD content as MP4 for easier playback on phones, TVs, or other devices, see our guide on how to convert DVD to MP4.

Step 6. Click the Browse button next to the field of Save as to specify a save path and a file name for the output.

Step 7. Click the Start Encode button to begin ripping chapters off the DVD. When the process is complete, you will find the extracted chapter at the location you selected.

What to Know Before Using HandBrake

HandBrake is a good choice if you want to convert DVD chapters to modern formats such as MP4 or MKV. However, unlike direct chapter extraction, HandBrake transcodes the video, so the output file is a newly encoded version of the original. In the meantime, it also does not provide built-in DVD copy-protection bypassing.

Here is how to rip homemade and protected DVD with HandBrake.

Way 3. Rip DVD Chapters with VLC Media Player

Best for: users who already have VLC installed and need basic extraction from a compatible DVD.

VLC Media Player is primarily a media player, but it also includes a Convert/Save function that can be used to extract content from DVDs. Compared with dedicated DVD software, VLC provides fewer DVD-specific controls. The extraction process can also take longer because VLC converts the video during the process. Some copy-protected DVDs may not work correctly.

How to Rip DVD Chapters with VLC

Step 1. Download and install VLC.

Step 2. Open VLC and insert the DVD you want to extract a chapter from.

Step 3. Click the Media option in the menu bar and click Convert/Save.

Step 4. Click the Disc tab, select DVD, and make sure the DVD you want to rip is selected in the field of the Disc device.

Step 5. Select the title and chapters you want to rip. Different from WinX DVD Copy Pro and HandBrake, you are allowed to select one chapter only to rip at once.

Step 6. Click the Convert/Save button at the bottom.

Step 7. On the "Convert" window, choose a profile for the output.

Step 8. Click the Browse button to name and choose the save location for your file.

Step 9. Click the Start button to begin extracting chapter from DVD. Once done, you'll find your ripped chapter in the location you chose earlier.

See the detail guide and fixes to rip DVD with VLC.

Which Method Is Best for Ripping DVD Chapters?

All three methods can extract DVD chapters, but they are designed for different situations.

The best option ultimately depends on your DVD and the type of output you need. WinX DVD Copy Pro is the most convenient choice when you want direct extraction of selected chapters without transcoding. HandBrake is a strong free option for compatible unprotected DVDs, while VLC is useful for basic extraction if you already use VLC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rip only one chapter from a DVD?

Yes. You can select a specific DVD title and chapter and extract only that chapter as a separate video file. WinX DVD Copy Pro, HandBrake, and VLC all provide ways to select individual DVD chapters.

Can I rip multiple DVD chapters at once?

Yes. WinX DVD Copy Pro lets you select multiple chapters from a title. With HandBrake, you can use the Queue to process multiple chapter selections as separate jobs.

Can HandBrake rip copy-protected DVDs?

Not by default. HandBrake does not bypass DVD copy protection, so it may not be able to scan or convert some commercial DVDs.

Can VLC rip individual DVD chapters?

Yes. VLC can extract DVD content by specifying a title and chapter in its Convert/Save workflow. However, VLC has fewer DVD-specific controls than dedicated DVD extraction software, and some protected DVDs may not work.

Does ripping a DVD chapter reduce video quality?

It depends on the method. Direct extraction without transcoding preserves the original video data, while tools such as HandBrake and VLC encode the video into a new output file. Using appropriate encoding settings can help maintain good quality while reducing file size.

What is the easiest way to rip DVD chapters individually?

If you need to select specific chapters and save them as separate files without transcoding, a dedicated DVD tool such as WinX DVD Copy Pro is the more convenient option. For compatible unprotected DVDs, HandBrake provides a free alternative.